Abstract
The relationship between individual differences in the general desire to control events and gambling behavior was examined. Desire for control scores for members of a Gamblers Anonymous group were found to be significantly related to how frequently the gamblers had bet upon games and events containing a slight perception of controllability. Consistent with earlier research linking gambling behavior with the illusion of control phenomenon, no such relationship was found when using desire for control scores to predict how frequently the subjects had bet upon games without this hint of controllability. Desire for control scores also tended to be related to how much money the gamblers had lost during their worst year of gambling. However, contrary to prediction, the gamblers were found to have significantly lower desire for control scores on the average than a matched comparison group. It is suggested that individual differences in desire for control influence gambling behavior but are not a cause of problem gambling.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.